Lesley Staggs, the first-ever national director of the Foundation Stage, has resigned from her post amid rumours that restructuring of the management at National Strategies has made her position untenable. It is also believed that political pressure to put measures such as those on phonics proposed by the Rose review in the Early Years Foundation Stage (see p6) has contributed to Ms Staggs' decision. One early years expert told Nursery World, 'She can't do the job she was appointed to do.'